Montana Supreme Court

State v. J. Parker

May 6, 2025421 Mont. 473

Summary

The Montana Supreme Court affirmed James Houston Parker’s conviction for tampering with physical evidence. The Court held that the erroneous jury instruction using the term “knowingly” did not constitute plain error, that counsel’s failure to object did not satisfy the Strickland test for ineffective assistance, and that the prosecutor’s conduct did not rise to prosecutorial misconduct warranting a new trial.